


It’s Gettin’ Real Cozy in this Closet

by DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose



Category: All Elite Wrestling, Being The Elite (Web Series)
Genre: Adam is Questioning his sexuality, Adam is shy, Both Kenny and Matt are the Elite’s moms, Chapter 3 gets a little spicy and I apologise for that-, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Found Family, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Kenny and Colt’s BTE rivalry, Kenny has commitment issues, Kenny is Bisexual, Kenny is both dense and shameless, Kenny is so clueless, Kenny is such a fucking idiot, Lock them in the closet together!, M/M, Matt and Nick are chaotic as always, Matt and Nick have learned way too much of Kenny’s sex life over the years, Matt is disappointed in his baby brother, Nick is a scheming little shit, The Bucks just want the best for their friends, The boys are surprisingly well versed in meme culture, and also they are tired of waiting, and he’s also a little shit, everyone has trust issues, i don’t even know where this idea came from, i don’t know., i got real sappy, keepin it light and breezy, matchmaker bucks, or is it a double entendre?, pre-Elite Breakup storyline, someone has to keep Nick in check, the Bucks share a single brain cell, who better to ask?, yes the name is a pun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:40:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose/pseuds/DiveIn_HeadFirst_CantLose
Summary: Adam isn’t an idiot. He knows he’s in denial of some kind. So, he goes to the only bisexual person he could think of for advice.It turns out, asking his crush for advice on discovering his sexuality is areally badidea...Especially when neither of them can keep secrets, and their friends are meddling nuisances.It’s gettin’ real cozy in this closet.
Relationships: Kenny Omega/"Hangman" Adam Page, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson & Kenny Omega (platonic)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 37





	1. Confessions of a Cowboy

It was supposed to be a normal evening, but it ended up being anything but. 

It started the way it always did. A good match, cheap fast food with the Bucks... it was a good night. Kenny and Adam were now in their hotel room. 

Kenny was sat back on the bed, playing on his phone, and Adam was sat at a chair in the corner. Adam decided to break the comfortable silence with a thought, one that he had been dwelling on for a while now.

"So.. Kenny..." Adam started, turning to his tag team partner. Upon hearing his name, he looked up from his phone.

"Hm?" He blinked, head tilted slightly to the side. He was sat on the hotel bed, legs crossed, looking at Adam, who was sat in the chair.

"How did you discover that you're... um, bi?" Adam asks, and Kenny lights up a little. He turns his head fully towards him, locking his phone and shuffling so they were facing each other.

Being Bisexual is one of those things that most people expect Kenny to be awkward about, but it's actually one of about 5 topics he finds really easy to talk about. 

"Well, in short..." Kenny shrugged, trying to collect his words. "I thought 'Oh, that girl's hot, and I would date them.' Then I saw a guy and realised, dudes are hot too, and I would feel totally comfortable dating them also. I just thought everybody felt that way. I've always kind of... known. I didn't really date until... well."

Adam isn't quite satisfied with that answer. It doesn't help him at all with his internal dilemma. In fact, it was quite the opposite. That statement gave him even more doubts and made him feel even more confused about his sexuality. Who he was, what this obnoxious little crush meant... it all ceased to make sense. It would probably be less of a big deal if he weren't so deep in the closet he was finding Christmas presents.

"What if it's just... like, one guy?" Adam questions, a little more hesitant than before. He quietly fiddles with his hands in his lap. Kenny knew Adam well, and he could sense how delicate he was being, skirting around the topic. 

There's a brief silence, then Kenny turned his head to look at him straight on, making deliberate and direct eye contact that Adam immediately realised that he hated. He felt like Kenny could see into his soul, or even past that.

"This guy, do you wanna date him?" Kenny asked, deadpan.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea. This isn't about me." Adam insisted, taking a sip from his glass. His hand is shaking slightly. The other man's eyes briefly linger on the glass, before he glanced back up to his face. 

"Well... who is it for? They just need to ask, I won't get offended." Kenny reassured.

Kenny could see that Adam was going through the little internal panic routine he had become an expert at recognising. Not only that, but he just knew when his friend was lying.

He had become talented at spotting liars over the years. He'd had to learn, he'd known that it would be the cost of joining Bullet Club, and yet he had still agreed to it.

Those who turned down such an opportunity had cemented themselves as an enemy. Any one close to them was guilty by association. He'd seen many make the wrong choice, due to a common misconception. 

There was no neutral parties in the delicately balanced group of factions. Only with, or against. He had seen many learn the hard way, and so he had accepted. 

He didn't regret it, not really, but at the time he hadn't expected it to haunt him, even years after his exile.

Kenny didn't call him out the way he usually would, not yet. This was clearly delicate, a topic to be gently handled. Unless Adam started to take the piss, or Kenny got impatient. Both of which are likely occurrences.

"I'm just.. curious." He mumbled, unable to meet his eyes. It was a feeble lie, and Kenny wasn't stupid, and his patience and tact had both run out. He gave him a look that said 'you and I both know that's bullshit.' 

"Come on Adam, who's the guy?" Kenny grinned, making Adam roll his eyes playfully. 

Now that the serious moment had passed, they let it become a game. There's always games with Kenny, there's always a hoop to jump through. Nothing is ever simple, and the man himself is like a riddle that's never been solved. 

He's an endless war, he's a complex cipher, he's so interesting and intriguing that Adam can't help but want to unravel him, know how he works. He wants to understand how he loves, and thinks and feels. 

Sometimes Adam worries over him, knowing that he plays these games because his trust has been wounded repeatedly. He's guarding himself, trying to stay in control of every little thing all the time.

That's why Adam is so careful. Normally he's not so shy or hesitant when it comes to love, but he can't afford to startle Kenny with a sudden confession. He tries not to think of that, falling back into the easy routine.

Adam laughed. "Fine, fine, you caught me. We work with a bunch of super hot guys, even a straight guy could see that, don't pick on me for questioning myself!" 

Kenny would never genuinely pick on him over it. If Adam was uncomfortable, he would say and they'd find something else to banter about. In the early days, they'd reach each other's limits almost daily.

No jokes about Adam's drinking, unless Adam has already made one, and even then, you're on thin ice. No jokes about Ibushi. Just don't mention him. No joking about Cody. No mentioning Bullet Club. 

It's best to just... not think about Japan at all, if you want to survive a conversation with Kenny. One cold look from him could probably straight up murder someone with social anxiety.

As time went on, these limits had become cemented in their minds, and they took a backseat. Occasionally they still made mistakes, but for the most part, it wasn't even a thought in their minds. All that mattered was each other, and the words they shared. 

Their friendship had grown from something that could be described as fragile and sickly at best had grown into something sturdy and reliable. Something they could turn to on a rough day. The change had happened quickly, and behind closed doors.

They didn't have to worry, so conversations became easy and carefree. Adam loved how Kenny would call him on his bullshit, he loved how much Kenny respected his opinion, he loved how Kenny listened.

Oh, he was so in love, and he knew it.

"Well then, Cowboy, who is it?" Kenny's grin hadn't wavered. God, he loved that smile, those sparkling azure eyes lighting up, warmth filling his whole face.

"Who do you think?" Adam retorted. If Kenny wanted to play, they would play. Whatever made him more comfortable. Besides, he wasn't sure he quite had the courage to just blurt it out.

"Hm... is it someone in the tag team division?" Kenny asked. It was a good question, obviously banter that could be played off as just a question.

"What is this, 20 questions?" Adam scoffed, and the twinkle in Kenny's eyes made him regret that comment.

"It is now." Kenny replies without missing a beat, and Adam muttered some playful curses under his breath.

"Come on cowboy, play the game..." He grinned, fluttering his eyelashes. God, if only he knew just how that made Adam feel. He didn't feel like he could say no.

"For me?" 

That was it, that was all it took. Adam threw his hands up in the air, in an over-the top display of defeat.

"Dammit! Fine, yes. Yes, they are." He sighed

"Are they single?" He raised a brow, and Adam realises with a start that he... actually didn't know if Kenny was single. In fact, it was more than likely he wasn't. Sure, they weren't allowed to bring up Kota, but that was likely for a multitude of other reasons. His heart sank a little but he didn't allow it to show on his face.

"Why did I agree to this, again?" He mock-scowled, and Kenny's smile only grew brighter. He loved when Adam pretended not to play, even though he was enjoying this just as much as Kenny did. If he wasn't, he would tap.

It was a safe way to talk about serious things, and though as tag team partners, they should be able to be brutally honest with each other and have a mature conversation, mature conversations were far scarier than banter. 

Banter could be taken back or played off as just a joke, in the spirit of the game. It was safe, they were guarded still.

"I have no way of knowing for sure. Now answer the question, cowboy." Kenny grinned, folding his arms.

"If I've assumed correctly, no." He confessed.

"Married?" Kenny inquired curiously, and Adam let out a breathy laugh. 

"Nope. I mean, I'm 99% sure."

"Good. Pining is never fun." Kenny shrugged and Adam nodded in agreement 

"Yeah, it really isn't, is it?"

"Hmm..Do I know them? If I don't know them that's cheating!" He insisted.

"That's not a rule!" Adam huffed, leaning back. The whiskey was finally getting him tipsy, so he decided to put the drinking on hold for now. He didn't want the words to slip out.

"Stop evading!" Kenny demanded, and the cowboy relented.

"Yeah, you know them. Really well, too." 

"But... All my close friends are married."

"Yeah, I know." 

There was a silence. Kenny was deep in thought, cycling through all the potential possibilities. Though he was the creative type, he was also rather analytical, and it did show sometimes. Not now, of course, right now he was being so stupid Adam is torn between feeling sorry for him and smacking him upside the head. God, just how oblivious could he be?

"Well who the fuck is it then?" Kenny demanded, beginning to sound genuinely exasperated.

Adam wanted to shake him. He was so fucking clueless. It's certainly a good thing that intelligence isn't important in his eyes.

"Yes or no questions only!" Adam scolded and Kenny pouted back at him, flinging himself to lay back on the bed with an overdramatic huff.

"That's not a rule!"

"Is too!" He insisted, and Kenny crosses his arms over his chest and began to think, really really hard about just who this mystery man could be.

"Fine, fine! Hmm... have you been pining after them? Or did they just catch your eye and make you realise you like guys?"

It was a surprisingly sincere question, but they always did have these moments of sincerity when they played their games. The games were an escape from Kenny's paranoia and trust issues and Adam's alcoholism and tendency to push people away, not an escape from all their feelings. 

"Pining. Hardcore pining." He confessed with equal sincerity. He wanted Kenny to know that he took him seriously, if he wanted to be more sincere. He wasn't the best person to talk to about emotions, but he was a good listener. 

"Also, that's 2 questions!" Adam giggled like a schoolgirl, and Kenny laughed with him. It was infectious.

"I still have 14 questions left! Long hair?" Kenny had propped himself up on an elbow.

"Long-ish?" Adam answered, and Kenny thought for a moment.

"Like mine?" 

"Yeah, exactly like yours." He smiled knowingly. "12 chances left, buddy."

"Okay... have we wrestled them in a tag team match?"

"Nope!"

"We've wrestled every tag team on the roster!" Kenny howled in frustration, resisting the urge to smother himself with a pillow.

"Aaaand?" Adam said, eyes glittering with excitement. Kenny had to be playing dumb at this point. There was absolutely no way the man is this dense. There's no fucking way. 

"So, who is left, who's in the tag team division, isn't married, has long-ish hair exactly like yours, that we've never fought even though we've fought everyone in the tag team division?"

"Literally no one!" Kenny sat up and pouted, clearly frustrated. Adam took his time to sigh loudly. If he didn't get it after that, he wasn't going to. 

The thing was, did he want to keep his feelings secret anymore? 

"Kenneth Jerome Omega you are as dense as a brick." He said as he walked across the length of the room, taking a seat on the bed, just opposite Kenny, who was pouting. Adam smiled, taking a deep breath, summoning all the courage he required, counting to 10 in his mind. 

"Luckily for you, I'm into that shit." 

He grabbed Kenny's collar, dragging him into a soft kiss. At first, Kenny froze up, unsure where to put his hands. 

He awkwardly flailed them for a moment, seeming to make jazz hands. He doesn't know why the fuck he's doing that, but he's never sure why he does anything that he does. 

Should he push him away? Was this real, or just a joke? Kenny had gone a lot further than just kissing a guy for humour's sake.

Kenny hugs him all the time, and sometimes presses quick kisses to his forehead after a match. Adam's pretty sure Kenny just forgets that he isn't Ibushi. 

It's a general rule of thumb that Kenny is more physically affectionate with his guy friends than most. Adam knows that for a fact. He knows Kenny is fine with this kind of contact.

And so, Kenny thinks, this could be just another bit of Adam's bi-curiosity. Maybe he's just... experimenting in a safe environment because he knows Kenny will be fine with it?

Kenny very quickly realised that this wasn't another layer to the game. It couldn't be, not with the way that Adam was kissing him so sweetly and patiently, savouring the moment. This was all for real.

He melted into the kiss, hands going still and cupping Adam's face as he gently tilted his head to the side. They pull away gasping for air, and Adam lets go of his collar.

Kenny's pupils are blown and he's dazed, while Adam looks at him, worriedly. He'd not really thought before he acted, which was out of character for him, as he usually worried what his friends thought of them.

Kenny brushes his fingertips across his lips, where Adam had kissed him. The questions and their answers align and his eyes widen. The realisation is like a firework detonating in his mind.

"oh."

"Oh."

"OH-"


	2. And Then I Realised You’re Just As Naïve as I am

"I'm an idiot." Kenny announced, with a bright grin on his face. 

Adam smiled at the man he was so deeply in love with. He was still nervous, and it was showing in his eyes. What if he thought it was a joke and brushed it off as nothing? He tries not to squirm. Being uncomfortable will make Kenny uncomfortable.

Adam feels a rushing surge of relief when Kenny looks down and blushes.

"Um... and if... if that meant what I thought it did... I am in fact, single. Kota and I... didn't work out. We wanted different things."

"What is it that you want, Kenny?" Adam asked softly, letting their fingers interlock. They were no stranger to touching hands, but it feels so intimate, now. The way their hands slide against each other, the friction of their calloused fingertips making sparks fly between them.

Kenny sighed and laughed mirthlessly at Adam's question.

"I just want someone who's there. Even on my worst days, when I'm not myself. And I know I'm not an easy person to love, and that I threw that away with Kota, but..." He sighed, letting out feelings that he'd been repressing. He trusted Adam, enough to let him share the load. After all, they say a burden shared is a burden halved.

"He was talking about quitting and getting married and adopting a kid and stuff.. and I just- I panicked. I'm not good with commitments. It's not like I don't want a family... I just- it wasn't the time. It's all in the past now. I try not to dwell on it. It's just weird, him not being here." He tried to smile, but it didn't fool Adam, not for a second. Kenny's masks seldom do.

"I've been quite worried about you lately. You've been quieter than usual." Adam confessed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. 

He chuckled slightly, smiling once more. "Just trying not to embarrass myself in front of you. I really like you. I have for a few months. At first I thought I was just lonely, and I think that's what it was, for a while. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realised... you're great. You're so kind and caring."

"Are you all in, Kenny? Truly. It's okay if you aren't, we can just be really good friends. I'll support you just the same, as long as you're happy. I just- I love you a whole lot- and I don't want to start something if you aren't 100% sure you want this. I don't want you to be appeasing me because you don't wanna hurt me. I know you have issues with trusting... and committing... we can take things slow, we don't have to tell anyone at first. As long as you want this."

"I want this, I do." He promised, squeezing Kenny's hand. Kenny smiles at the gesture before speaking up.

"I'm betting on us. It's worked out before, right?" 

"And it'll work out again." Adam assured him, bringing their intertwined hands to his lips, kissing over Kenny's knuckles. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face.

"We probably shouldn't tell anyone at first. Just until we know where we stand- and we know how protective the Bucks can get."

He was smiling now. The conversation had been heavy and difficult, but they had clearly communicated their feelings and opinions. It's the scene you don't see in the storybooks, the final piece that most people forget when it comes to romance.

Kenny silently leant in, head tilted to one side. Adam pulled his body closer, eager to feel Kenny's warmth against him. They share another kiss. It's deeper, slower, even more intimate than their first. Adam's free hand finds Kenny's hair, winding into it. His curls are as soft as he had always imagined, as he had never quite had the nerve to touch them.

He doesn't think he will ever truly adjust to just how stunning and beautiful Kenny is. Carolina blue eyes as deep as the ocean. A smile that could light up a whole arena. Tawny golden curls that glint in the light, and they're so damned soft that he's sure he could play with them forever.

He knows every scar and freckle on Kenny's skin like he knows the ones on his own body. Probably better. He remembers where every single mark comes from, he always does. He can read Kenny's life story by grazing his fingertips across them. 

Memories of dates and people, cities and airports, and long sleepless nights flood his mind as he gradually slides his hand down Kenny's arm. He feels every ridge and dimple on his perfect skin, like mountains and valleys.

He remembers when Okada gave him that scar, he remembers that Cody gave him this one. He knows the scratch beside it too, he remembers it from when they won the titles. That little constellation of divots there was from the match at full gear, with Moxley. It feels like reading a letter from a lost lover from years past, all the memories swirl and condensed into nothing but love.

The kiss is filled with the sweetest passion, passion that transcends the works of all the great poets combined. It's one million loving thoughts conveyed in a single action, the echoes of things they have yet to say. Things that they'll have an eternity to say.

I love you.

I cherish you.

I will not leave you.

I will not forsake you.

I will not betray you.

I'm yours.

They pull away slightly, just enough to breathe, but still be pressed against each other, as close as possible. Neither of them speak, they don't need to. All they want is to fall asleep in each other's embrace.

Kenny dreams of bootcut jeans and oversized belt buckles and fields that go on for acres. He dreams of horses and barns and the scent of hay, he dreams of flower crowns weaved from daisies and forget-me-nots. He dreams of a handsome cowboy, reaching out a hand for him to take.

Adam dreams of feathers, tawny and golden. He dreams of a one winged angel who had Kenny's smile, his eyes, his everything. The wing is the only difference, and it's a difference that has been the topic of many a daydream.

"You do understand that this isn't real, right?" Angel-Kenny says, pressing the words into his lips. Sealing them with a kiss.

"I know," he replies, pausing for a moment. He feels the brush of feathers against his back, the wing shielding him from the silent war around them.

"I know it's just a dream... but just promise to never wake me."

—

It was a normal Wednesday evening at Daily's place, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Wrestlers were milling around the backstage area, making polite and friendly conversation. Well, some of the conversation was neither polite nor friendly, but it was all in good fun.   
Those who didn't like each other, avoided each other, and most shows went on without any incidents backstage. 

Conflict doesn't always stay in the ring where it belongs, but Daily's place is, well, a big place. There's plenty of room for everyone to split off into their own little cliques and groups, or find a quiet place to sit.

Kenny Omega was sat in the bar, despite the fact that he doesn't drink alcohol. He didn't even look as uncomfortable as he typically does in such an environment. In fact, he's talking and laughing with someone, 

That was the first thing that was suspicious to Matt and Nick. The second was the man he was sat with.

Though Kenny and Adam had been a tag team for several months now, they weren't exactly best buddies. Adam had been a bit off lately, acting cold and unfeeling and pushing everyone away. And yet, the two were now drinking together. Kenny with a glass of chocolate milk, Adam with a glass of whiskey. 

"Here's to us, Cowboy." Kenny grinned, and Adam laughed affectionately. They clinked their glasses together, and it sounded like the toll of a crystal bell. 

Matt and Nick each furrowed their brows and looked at each other, skeptically.

"Do you think they're-" the older started, but was interrupted by his brother.

"Boning?" Nick smirked, glancing over at the pair. Adam had said something that made Kenny laugh so hard he had to grab onto Adam's shoulder with his free hand, to not fall from the barstool. "Definitely."

"No! I was going to say do you think they're crushing on each other!" Matt said exasperatedly, with a huff. He was still looking at the pair. 

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little jealous. He'd been Kenny's best friend for so long that it was kinda hard to not be grossly overprotective of him. Kenny was easy to hurt, after all. He was just worried.

"Should we do some matchmaking?" Nick suggested with a small smirk, and Matt's eyes lit up a little. It's Adam, and they all know him. He knows the cowboy is harmless, so he shakes off his doubts. Being the mother hen is Kenny's job.

"And by matchmaking you mean?" The elder brother raises a brow, doing a god-awful job of hiding his grin.

"Lock them in the closet and find out who's right?" Nick's smirk grew into a full blown grin, and Matt couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped his lips. 

As the elder brother, he was supposed to be the bad influence, and it seemed that he had done his job in his younger years.

"Absolutely. Wanna get it on camera, for BTE?" Matt grinned.

"You're a genius." Nick high-fives his brother. "Now, how do we set this up?"

"Well, step one is laying the trap." Matt started, stroking his chin in thought. "We need something to draw them in, so we can get them in the closet."

"Colt Cabana!" Nick snapped his fingers, a lightbulb going off in his mind.

"Yeah, that'll do it." Matt agreed. "Hangman will go with him, nothing more romantic than chasing down your nemesis together."

"Is that what you and your wife do on the weekends?"

"Of course not. She said it wasn't really her thing." Matt said, deadpan. Nick blinked are him. He wasn't quite at a loss for words, but it had gotten as close as it was going to get.

"I've known you my whole life and I don't even know if you're serious." Nick replied. "I'm not even going to ask any questions."

"Whatever. Just tell me the plan, I know you've got one." Matt huffed. "you're the sneaky one."

"Hey! Not sneaky, clever!" Nick amended, and Matt snorted, as if the very thought was preposterous, before shaking his head

"You keep telling yourself that." Matt said, amused by his brother's irritation. Nick rolled his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his head, before giving a brief rundown of the plan.

"So, we find Colt, and tell him to send a message saying he's in the broom closet and wants to talk. He's always in if it involves tormenting Kenny. Kenny goes running, because that's his nemesis, and drags hangman with him. When they're in, we lock it, and come back in an hour."

"And hope that history doesn't repeat itself." Matt mumbled 

"Hey, we were right!" 

"And we also saw way more of Kenny and Ibushi than we ever needed to see. Kota didn't even look at me for a week."

"I think he just didn't like you." Nick countered. 

"I have no idea whether he liked me or not."

"I don't think he liked either of us, since we were constantly questioning if he could be trusted and whether he actually loved Kenny."

"That man was so hard to read." Matt continues, totally ignoring Nick's comment.

"Kenny could read him, and he's not exactly the biggest people person." Nick pointed out. He was in a unhelpful mood today. Significantly more so than most days.

"There was just something connecting those two. I think it'll do Kenny some good to get back in the dating scene. He's been so lonely. Even a little quiet, and Kenny is not normally quiet unless he's upset." Matt observes.

"It's someone we trust, so there's no risk of there being conflict over them being together. I think it'll be good for Adam to have someone too. He's been a bit off around us lately." Nick adds. It's pretty much universally agreed that the two brothers share a single brain cell.

"I just hope Kenny remembers that other people's well-being and feelings are not his responsibility."

"You worry far too much, Matt. Come on, it's prank time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad you’re all enjoying this story! It’s very different in tone from how I typically write.
> 
> I’m really proud of this, especially the first half of this chapter. I think some of the description is beautiful, and the sneaky reference to Kota. If you know you know!
> 
> Please leave a comment, they make me so happy!


	3. Three Cheers for Five Years

"Here's to us, Cowboy." Kenny smiled, and their glasses clinked. They each drank from their glasses. The liquor stung Adam's throat as it slipped down, and he savoured the burn. He's promised himself it's just the one glass tonight. He wants to be aware and in control of himself.

They were each still flushed from their match, still running hot despite having showered and changed. Kenny's hand was resting on Adam's while they made small talk, unaware of Matt and Nick observing from a distance. 

It wasn't really a normal first date, since they had known each other for... well, it felt like forever, even if it was only about 5 years at best. It was long enough to know everything about each other.

Kenny had learned early in his wrestling career that time had very little meaning or use other than for arranging meetings and dates and getting to work on time. 

Nighttime didn't always bring sleep, and lunchtime didn't always bring food, regardless of whether that was because he was on a 15 hour transatlantic flight next to a screaming baby, or whether it was due to the fact that he was flat broke in the middle of Tokyo. Things aren't cheap, not in the city. 

"You think loudly, darlin'." Adam said. The affectionate nickname felt right, and he could feel his face flush a little. He hadn't felt this loved in so long. He hadn't felt wanted in so long. He never wants it to end.

"What's on your mind?" Adam continued, gently. It was only then he realised that he had been a little zoned out, and he chuckles, getting a little bit bashful. 

"I was just thinking of when I started out." Kenny admitted, honestly. "You know, being destitute in the middle of Tokyo and earning the equivalent of 80 bucks a night, barely enough to cover the hotel costs. Always moving around and touring the cities of japan... to here. With you... with all of this. I don't think my younger self would believe me if I told him it was actually going to get better." He smiled widely. 

Adam's heart soared. He had always felt something for Kenny. He'd thought it was hatred. Maybe jealousy. Cody had convinced him that much. He still didn't trust Cody, now.

Adam doesn't normally hold grudges. He can't see the purpose in it. He knows first hand that people make mistakes, and that people change. He's a walking example of that fact, and he wears that with pride. But the takeover of Bullet Club wasn't a mistake. It was an intricate and perfectly orchestrated plan, one that hinged on his loyalty.

Could he have prevented it all by ratting Cody out?

He doesn't know. But he does know that he'll forever hold a silent grudge against Cody. He knows that if it happened again, Cody would do it all again without hesitation, in a heartbeat, and yet Kenny clearly trusts him wholeheartedly. 

The old him would have attributed that fact to Kenny's arrogance. Arrogance that was actually non-existent. That cockiness had all been a front. The man he is today knew that while Kenny was paranoid, he was also filled with an almost childish naïvety. 

He forgives remarkably easy, and though he know the fear of betrayal weighs on his mind, he never pushes away the people he's afraid of. He can hear Kenny's voice in his head, from days when his eyes were colder and his thoughts were darker.

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

Even back then, he'd felt like that was a pretty poor philosophy, but he had been too terrified of the old Kenny to say it. He now knew that his fear of Kenny was mostly due to just how attractive he found him, especially when he got all commanding.

It's like the 'hatred'. As soon as Kenny had forgiven him and welcomed him back with open arms, he had known that what he thought was bitter and violent was actually soft and tender. He didn't hate Kenny, it was something else. 

He had ignored and pushed away that feeling for months and months. Ignoring and evading. Trying to run from something that was always a step ahead.

He could do so all he wanted, it was still going to stay there, the feeling wouldn't leave him. Last night, he had finally crawled back out of the closet. It felt more like a never-ending hallway than a closet. Adam snorted, and Kenny turned his head to look at him.

"Hey, what's funny?" He asked, a little smile playing on his lips. It suits him.

"Well, what you said got me thinking, you know? About how far we've come." He chuckled. "I was so far in the closet I was in fucking Narnia-"

Kenny cut him off with a laugh, laughing so hard that he put a hand on his now-boyfriend's shoulder for support. He can feel eyes on them, but he doesn't know or care who's looking. Let them look, he's happy, and if they have a problem with that he doesn't care.

After a whole minute of giggling roger the Kenny was calm again. Their shoulders were touching now, Kenny's laughter having jostled the barstools a little. 

"All jokes aside, you'd be surprised how often that happens. I thought I hated.. Ibushi, for a while, before I figured out I was just a dumb idiot."

He paused before saying his name. It was still a little difficult to say without calling him one of the many nicknames he used to use.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about, um... everything with Bullet Club. I was apparently in an awful lot of denial."

"Hey man, I told you, it's all water under the bridge now. You don't need to worry." Kenny smiles, and it feels genuine, but something in Adam's mind tells him it's fake. He knows it's all his head playing tricks on him, but it feels so real.

It feels good to get it out in the open.

Kenny squeezes his hand, and he finds his smile again. Those says were over, and if Kenny said it was okay then he would do his absolute best to never think about it ever again. 

Kenny's phone buzzes. He rolls his eyes when he sees the name, but he seems to get a little excited when he sees the contents.

"Hey cowboy, what do you think about going to catch my nemesis together?"

"Of course, sounds romantic." He downed the last of his whiskey with a smile.

"This should not have worked." Nick says from his seat beside matt, across the bar from the couple. "This absolutely should not have worked." Nick repeated.

Colt is awkwardly sitting there, watching Kenny practically drag Adam down the corridor. Matt hands Colt's phone back.  
He thanks him and wanders off for a while.

"But it did. I told you, I know Kenny." Matt grinned, walking down the corridor, turning the corner to see Kenny eagerly throw open the broom closet door. There's barely room for two people of their size in there.

Kenny lead Adam inside the broom closet, before he heard the door slamming behind them. There was the sound of a lock being turned, and giggling. 

It was a very distinctive giggle, and even in the pitch black of the empty broom closet he could tell that they both figured it out at the exact same time.

"I know that laugh." Adam muttered. "I believe we have been... bamboozled."

Kenny groaned. "Nick! Unlock the door or God will not be able to protect you from my wrath!

He hears Matt's chuckle, and splutters. "You too?! I expected Nick, but I never-!"

"Come on, it's only an hour." Matt chimed in

"An hour?! Matthew Jackson, if you go anywhere I'm going to- well- I don't know- but there will be some kind of consequence!"

He heard footsteps rapidly disappearing down the hall. Kenny let out a defeated sigh.

"So... we're stuck in here." Kenny slumped against him tiredly. He was still sore from the match and he just wanted to be held, and loved. 

"Do you think this is for a BTE skit?" Adam asked, and Kenny's smile brightened the dark closet for a moment, but only a moment.

"Oh absolutely, it always is with those two."

"You say that like you've been in this scenario before." Adam said, skeptically. He could feel the glee in Kenny's body language after than comment.

"Oh, I have. Nick locked me in a broom closet with Ibushi, way back when, trying to pull this exact thing. He and Matt had a bet on whether I had a thing for him or not."

He was a little surprised that Kenny was so comfortable mentioning Kota to him, especially with the way the story was going. "All I'm going to say, is that footage had to be deleted immediately, and I think we scarred them both for life." Kenny chuckled. 

"You weren't- in the closet-" Adam spluttered. It wasn't even him and he was getting embarrassed.

"Yup. The looks on their faces were priceless. Before that we'd been trying to convince them that Kota and were just really close friends... Do you think they figured us out?"

"Not yet, surely. It's only been a week. There's no way they've already figured it out."

"Yeah, they're probably just messing. You're right." Kenny gave Adam a coy smile, running a finger across his jawline. "Wanna kill some time in here with me? They won't be back for a whole hour."

Adam blushed, pinning his his partner's shoulders to the wall, kissing him gently If he had learned anything over the past week, it was that Kenny had a way with words, and he was absolutely shameless. He tucked an unruly curl back behind his lover's ear.

"If you're askin', you're already a step behind." He said, a low growl in the back of his throat, his southern accent growing more prominent with every word as he leant in to whisper in his ear.

He kissed Kenny, slow and gentle, hands slipping down to grip his waist. He intended to draw this out. If they were locked in here for an hour, he was going to make damn sure he used every last minute. Privacy was a luxury.

Adam pinned Kenny's wrists to the wall, torturing him with another slow, deep kiss. Taking his sweet time, and there was nothing Kenny could do about it. Kenny lets out a soft keening sound into it, trying to urge him on.

Adam can't even describe how that makes him feel. It's higher pitched than he's ever heard Kenny's voice to be, and his knees feel weak.

He's so immersed in the kisses that he hasn't noticed that Matt and Nick had opened the door, and that camera was rolling. 

Matt is the one holding the camera. Nick sounds like he's about to cry from laughter, while Matt is just scowling and disappointed.

"Whoops." Kenny muttered. "Secret's out"

"Well." Adam shrugged. His blue eyes were alive with adrenaline, and his face was red with embarrassment. "He did say we had an hour, it's not our fault he lied."

They both looked the young bucks with matching sheepish smiles.

"When will you two learn that locking me in broom closets with other guys always backfires?" Kenny piped up, finally adressing their audience. 

Matt is glaring, but he's still somewhat amused by it all. Nick is still giggling so hard that his sides hut despite the pain in his ribs, but he manages to wheeze out a sentence

"Matt! I told you- I told you that they were-" 

"Shut up, Nick." All three of them said in perfect unison, and Matt flicked his brother's forehead.

"It doesn't matter, I was right!" Nick declared, triumphantly.


	4. One More Long Night

"What gave us away?" Adam sighed slightly, stepping out of the closet to join his friends in the hallway. He sorted the shirt buttons that he hadn't even realised had been undone.

"Usually, Kenny walks like a normal human being, and not like he's been fucked through a wall." Nick suggested. "It was kind of obvious that you two were-"

"Wait a fucking second- we haven't- what-" Adam spluttered. Nick's words had just broken him, and now his brain was processing information like he was internet explorer with 75 tabs open. 

"I wish that was the reason I was walking badly." Kenny snickered, and Nick high-fived him. 

Adam let out a mumbled protest, burying his blushing face in Kenny's shoulder. "You're all trying to kill me." He complained, dramatically. "This is a conspiracy."

Kenny laughed softly, wrapping an arm around him. "Anyway, lets set things straight. I'm walking funny because I had a bad fall during training and I messed up my knee a little. And I know that sounds like a bad excuse, but it's actually what happened. Plus, we've only been dating since last week. I may move that fast, but Adam certainly doesn't. He's a prude."

"You were literally just about to fuck in a closet." Matt deadpanned. 

"We weren't!" Adam insisted, flustered.

"I mean, I wish we were." Kenny quipped. "Would have taken a lot longer than an hour-"

"Silence, bottom!" Matt interrupted, trying to get Kenny to just stop talking. He was so startled that it actually stopped him in his tracks. That was a mean feat. "I saw more than enough as it was, I don't need any descriptions!"

"Did you- did you just-" Kenny spluttered.

"Call you a bottom? Yes. Yes he did." Nick interjected, with a snicker.

"And regrettably, I know it's true." Matt added. 

The tips of Kenny's ears went a little red, and Adam wants to disappear, covering his whole face with his hands. Nick feels like he's about to die, he literally doesn't think he could laugh any harder than this. 

"I'm scared to ask, but... Why are you filming?"

"Ohhhh right. BTE." Matt piped up.

"Told you." Kenny smirked at Adam.

"You did." He sighed. "If this actually goes into the video, I might just have to kill you." 

"It's like that one vine where they wake up the dude in the bunk bed and the other dude is there. It's amazing." Nick was still laughing.

"We are too old to know this much about internet culture." Matt muttered.

"Tell me I'm wrong." Nick challenges, and everyone ignores it. 

"I mean, you still didn't answer my question. What tipped you off?" Adam smiled curiously.

"Depends if you mean tonight or in general?" Matt shrugged. 

"In general?" Adam asked

"Yeah. Have you not seen the way Kenny looks at you? And how he tried to watch movies you liked so you could talk about them together, even though it usually takes him ages to work up to starting a new show?"

"Oh-"

"Also, Kenny hates bars! It's literally the most uncomfortable environment for him, but he was fine with it as long as you were there. My god, Adam, you're more oblivious than Kenny!"

"Hey, I take offence to that! We literally had to play 20 questions for him to figure it out!"

"You wHat?" Nick cackled. "Okay, we need to know a little more than that."

"So I was questioning my sexuality, and I only know one guy who's bisexual. So, I asked him about it like I was asking for a friend. I've never liked a guy other than Kenny... so I asked if it still counts if it's one guy, and he had me figured out."

Kenny took over the story smoothly, picking up where Adam left off. "And because I liked him, I asked who it was, and because of a dumb joke we made, it became a game of 20 questions. We were just over 10 questions in, and I was nowhere near the answer."

"You knew they were in the tag team division, unmarried, with long-ish hair, 'exactly like yours' as I put it, that we've never fought even though we've fought everyone in the tag team division. It literally couldn't have been anyone but him."

"Hey, in my defence-" Kenny started, but Adam interrupted 

"Overruled."

"That's not how this works, you can't do that!"

Adam thought for a moment. "...Objection?" 

"No. What I was saying is... normally, people don't ask their crush how to know if they might be bi?! I didn't even think I was on the list of possibilities. I thought for a good couple minutes that you had just hardcore friendzoned me!"

"I kissed you!" Adam retorted, getting increasingly frustrated. He wasn't actually mad, he was just playing. 

"Matt has kissed me a bunch of times! At first, I thought that you were unintentionally friend-zoning me so hard that you thought you could kiss me and it wouldn't be awkward because you know I'm chill with being affectionate with my friends."

"Wow. After hearing that, I'm actually kind of impressed you managed to get together on your own." Matt shook his head

"Without your meddling?" Kenny looked at Matt.

"Matchmaking! Not meddling!" Nick corrected insistently.

"Nope, that's meddling." Adam agreed. "Good meddling, but it's meddling."

Kenny looked at Matt. "And I can't believe you were involved. You agreed to this?"

"Yeah, I did. Actually, making it into a BTE bit was my idea."

Kenny chuckled. "You think you know someone. You're usually the one dragging us back when we do the dumb things. You're supposed to be the smart one!"

"None of us are smart, you should know that by now!" Matt declared, grinning.

"You wanna rethink that buddy?" Nick requested, but Matt shook his head, his smile not wavering.

"I know what I said, and I'm right."

His heart felt heavy with love, not just love for Kenny, though that was definitely abundant, but for Matt and Nick too. For the first time in a long time, the Elite felt like a little family again. They knew him so well, they know Kenny even better. 

He just wants to hug all three of them, and tell them that he loves them, that Matt and Nick are his best friends in the whole word, that he hopes he'll marry Kenny some day. He holds back from getting a little too sappy, and allows himself to join in on the banter.

"I was a teacher for 5 years." Adam pointed out. "I'd say I'm pretty smart."

"A graphic design teacher." Nick snorted

"Okay, Yes, but still!" 

"We're all idiots, Let's just get out of here and get some food." Matt announced with a smile.

All four of them walked down to the nearest fast food place, and sat themselves down. Matt went up to order. Nick smirked. Having adopted the role of everyone's little brother, it was his job to annoy everyone as much as possible. It always had been, and now was his time to shine. Matt was soon back, placing down the red plastic tray and distributing the food.

As they laughed and joked over fries that were far too salty, Kenny smiled. 

Adam felt his heart stutter, and he choked on his fries at the sight. Kenny's smile was just so beautiful, and he didn't think he could ever get used to seeing it. The way his soft lips quirked up at the corner, the spark that danced in his eyes. It made his heart skip a beat every time.

Matt and Nick made fun of him for it, of course, but the teasing comments were just words, something they could handle easily. The younger brother laughed so hard he fell off his chair, and Adam laughed triumphantly.

"Ha! Karma!"

"Oh, shut up, page!" Nick huffed, getting back up onto the chair. 

Soon they were heading back to the hotel. It was pitch black now, the stars nothing but little pinpricks in the sky. The show had ended rather late, and the shenanigans hadn't helped their timing.

They're all tired and sore, but content. It had been a great day. Kenny was exhausted, relying on Adam to help him after the first set of stairs.

"What would you do without me, eh?" He says softly, gently brushing some stray curls from Kenny's eyes. 

"I don't know, Adam. I just don't know." He says gently. He sounds small, and fragile. 

Adam promises himself that he will protect him, no matter what. Even if he pushed everyone away, even if there is civil war in the elite, much like the one in bullet club... Adam will be at his side.

They reach their room, and Adam unlocks the door. He carries Kenny to the bed, placing him down and getting in beside him. He just holds him as tight as he can, because sometimes there's moments that the words can't reach, let alone solve. Sometimes you just have to hold on tight, be a rock to cling to in the rushing waters.

Adam drifts off to sleep, but Kenny can't switch off. He can't stop thinking, thinking, thinking. The thoughts are unrelated, seemingly sporadic, but they won't leave him alone, even though all he wants to do is rest his aching bones.

He lays there for hours on end, mind whirring away. The thoughts are worried and dark and confusing, and he feels so oddly numb to it all. He just wants to sleep.

Adam stirred a little at Kenny's unrest, pulling him closer, trying to fend off whatever thoughts are bothering him. His eyes gently blink open. He knows Kenny is still awake. Kenny often is up in the early hours.

Adam kisses the top of his head. He's tired, and his voice is deep and gravel-thick, and his accent is prominent. If Kenny wasn't so incredibly tired and frightened, he'd probably want to do anything but sleep.

"Babe, you've gotta try to get at least some sleep... we've an early flight tomorrow." He said softly, combing his fingers through Kenny's curls in an attempt to comfort him somewhat.

"I know." He whispered softly, rolling over to snuggle close to his chest. "I'm just... I don't know. I'm frightened and I don't even know what I'm scared of..." 

Kenny never whimpers like that, not even playfully. It's scary, to see him like this. 

"Hey, it's okay..." Adam said, voice as soft as the bedsheets. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I'm right here." He says it slowly, so clearly meaning everything word. "I'm right here, Kenny."

Kenny tucked his head into Adam's chest, like a child cowering from a loud noise. The sheets are soft and and warm, and the room is quiet. He'd never liked the quiet before. He can feel Adam's arm draped around his waist, keeping him close. It feels safe, it feels secure. 

He could get used to this. The feeling of being loved. Being wanted. He just wants to stay there by his side forever. 

Adam has only really been a big part of his life for the past year, and yet he can't imagine life without him. 

He's used to just suffering alone when he feels like this. He's used to pushing himself beyond exhaustion. He's used to sleepless nights. He's used to hiding it from his partner out of this all consuming fear that they'll think he's weak.

Now he doesn't have to. 

Adam already knows him, all of his flaws. And for some absurd, inexplicable reason, he still loves him. He doesn't have to be alone anymore. He has Adam, who loves him.

He feels calm now, and that's enough.

"Thank you." He says softly, blinking away his tears. "Thank you for loving me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end! It was a pleasure to write, and I’m gradually growing more confident in my voices for Matt and Nick, and I feel I’m growing better at being funny and in character. I’m a sucker for a good found family dynamic, so I loved writing the Elite as one big happy group. 
> 
> All your comments mean the absolute world to me! Thank you so much!


End file.
